When I first saw a photo of Downing College’s Howard Theatre, I thought that I was looking at a picture of a venue I was never likely to visit in Vienna. ‘There’s certainly nothing so clean or evocative of the eighteenth century on The West End’ I said to myself- hoping no one thought I was a maddened thesp. 'There's definitely nothing like it in Cambridge. Our well-loved Corpus Playroom and ADC Theatre are the unchallenged centre of the theatre world here’. I was wrong. This theatre-with its plush chairs designed by Ferrari-is in this city. Just opposite Pizza Hut at Parker’s Piece give or take a few neo-classical buildings. But then what other kind of visual or theatrical spectacle would you expect from a college whose most notable alumni include John Cleese, Quentin Blake and Trevor Nunn? And why is the theatre not used by the student population? It was initially built for theatre, but is now only used for this purpose sporadically as Downing College has discovered it is a more useful revenue churner as a conference venue, so we have little chance to hear about it. This week, however, as it does from time to time-it opens its doors to the college’s Festival of New Writing. I am very fortunate to be one of the writers who’s ‘work in progress’ has been selected for inclusion.

The Festival appeals to the crowds who enjoy scratch new writing performances like other university-wide writing events such as The Fletcher Player’s Smorgasbord or The Marlowe Society’s HATCH. The Festival of New Writing takes these ‘script in hand’ performances one step further: assisting writers in more fully staging their pieces in their current form. Screenwriter, Stephen Bennett, for example has been on hand to advise all participants throughout the process. Whilst Daniel Duffy and friends provide audiences with musical accompaniment as they watch the performances. Prototypical sets are still used but actors encouraged to be off book. The atmosphere then is one of a sort of new writing showcase- further emphasised by the panel of industry professionals the festival organizes to view and discuss the work they see with the audience. Considered in a national context, it mocks up the kind of commercial chances writers might receive to play with their work from a venue such as The Royal Court, The Hammersmith Lyric or The Finborough.

We writers haven’t been exposed so much to each other’s work yet - and I should emphasise these will still all be works in progress the night you see them. In this frame I write here a synopsis from mine as an example of what’s on offer. You can find a list of the seven other pieces below.

Centered on a group of middle class university graduates, and set in Jill’s dad’s garage NME tracks less than half an hour in the lives of Ruby, Lil and Theo. They are waiting for photojournalist Kiki to arrive from The Winchester Daily Echo. A band named is conceived, egos massaged and small round glasses donned. But what will happen when the band realise that new member Theo is in fact a real musician? NME, or Narcissistic Musicians Exaggerate is a twenty first century reaction to Spinal Tap - parodying the verbosity of musicians such as The 1975’s Matty Healy, whilst questioning our culture’s obsession with image.

NME is on at The festival’s opening : Thursday the 10th at 7.30pm. I would whole heartedly encourage your attendance then. If you can’t bare aspiring hipsters intensely...and if you still have the urge to devour some new writing, I’d thoroughly recommend the second or third night of the festival. If you love the freshly written word there’d be a different program each evening. And what better way to wind down the end of term than surrounded by student creativity under a ceiling mural I doubt Michelangelo would have had many problems with?

The Downing Drama Society Festival of New Writing runs from the 10th - 12th of March from 7.30 at The Howard Theatre. Tickets can be purchased here: http://www.adcticketing.com/whats-on/drama/a-festival-of-new-writing.aspx

Plays at The DDS Festival of New Writing: Cardelia by Gus Mitchell, Pearl by Alex Cussons, NME, Or Narcissistic Musicians Exaggerate by Olivia Gillman, Forcing the Spring by Nate Hardisty, Diluvia by Joel Lipson, For God and Country by Natasha King, Unfortunately Unable by Charlotte Cromie, The Golden Bird by Kevin Forde

You can watch the trailer here:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/5bBUi06WN8k